From Our Early Files Sept. 7, 2022
25 YEARS AGO
September, 11, 1997
Seven Whitehall High School students were honored when the Riverland Girl Scout Council held its annual Gold and Silver Award banquet. Lesley Back, Alyssa Glanzman, Liz Hauser, Cassandra Johnson, Sara Johnson, Sarah Lessard and Amanda Lisowski will be presented with their Silver Awards.
The Whitehall Family Aquatic Center Capital Campaign is going, well, swimmingly. Campaign chairman Dave Pientok announced Tuesday that pledges toward the city’s new swimming pool facility totaled $254,126.40. The campaign is trying to raise at least $400,000 of the $1.1 million cost for the new center, which is to be built in time for the 1998 swimming season.
As concrete continues to be poured and steel beams are hoisted into place, the dream of a new Arcadia High School building is quickly becoming a reality. Currently, however, the school construction project is said to be approximately two months behind schedule. School Superintendent Roger Derrickson said many of the delays occurred in the early stages of the construction project.
Arcadia scouts from Troop 64 attempting to obtain their Eagle Scout rankings are Tony Bawek, Jared Diebold, Matt Benusa, Curtis Bisek, Jon Dorn and Roy Forsyth.
New delays have pushed the opening of the new south Beaver Creek bridge back one week, but that won’t stop the first tourist bus of the year from its scheduled visit to Galesville on Sept. 16. The bridge might open any day next week, depending on when light standards are put in place, a state Department of Transportation worker said Tuesday. In a report from the Galesville Area Chamber of Commerce last week, DOT supervisors said unavailability of a contractor likely would prevent this week’s hoped-for opening of the bridge. The Trempealeau County bus tour is scheduled to drive by the historic home district on West Ridge Avenue before a stop at the historic and restored Alexander Arnold House. The tour is one of 19 scheduled in the county.
The owner of a 140-acre site along Hwy. K being eyed for a new high school has indicated a willingness to sell the land to the school district, but is asking more than the school board has offered, the board learned Monday. The board, at a closed session in July, had offered the Bender family $300,000. The Benders expressed general satisfaction with the terms of the offer, except for the price; they are asking for $425,000. The board’s next step is to consider the asking price and to agree, to make a counter-offer or drop the location from consideration.
When new village administrator James Mielke stands on Trempealeau’s Main Street and looks at the restored buildings in its historic district and the Mississippi River at the end of the street, he sees more than buildings and water. “I feel it’s a village with a lot of opportunity, a lot character,” Mielke said as he started his third week on the job.
50 YEARS AGO
September 14, 1972
James Johnson, a graduate of Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau High School and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, is the new business manager and accountant for the Whitehall school district.
Entries from Whitehall’s Battery B, Fourth United State Light Artillery took second and third places at a cannon shoot held Sunday in Hutchinson, Minn. The crews, under the command of “Lieutenant” Garland Green, consisted of Steven Bautch, Larry Estenson, Gary and Dale Fromm, Richard Green, Mark Olson and Peter Speerstra Jr., and four of Garland Green’s former team members from Cadott.
Gary Larson ran for two touchdowns, and the Norse defense held Osseo-Fairchild to 25 yards in total offense, as Whitehall defeated the Chieftains 20-8 Friday.
Bids for general construction of two eight-unit apartment buildings for senior citizen housing will be open by the Arcadia Housing Corporation on Sept. 19. Location of the proposed construction, which will provide 14 two-bedroom and two one-bedroom rental units, will be on Gillespie Avenue on land purchased from the city for $10,000.
Melvin Nelson has been named chairman, while Wendell Olson is co-chairman of this year’s Arcadia Community Chest fund drive for which a goal of $4,000 has been set.
The Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau gridders won their 35th in a row under coach Russ Lund when they beat Bangor 43-0 on Friday. This puts them in second-place on the all-time Wisconsin high school list for consecutive wins.
Cross country had been added to the athletic program for the first time at G-E-T High School. Cross country is distance running on a two and a half mile course. Home meets will be run on the Galesville golf course.
The Galesville Post Office will become a part of a new concept in mail handling Sept. 25 when an area mail processing plan goes into effect in La Crosse and 53 surrounding post offices. Postmaster Sellpflug said the program is intended to speed the ultimate delivery of mail through maximum utilization of La Crosse’s present and planned mechanized equipment.
75 YEARS AGO
September 11, 1947
Enrollment in the Whitehall schools is the largest on record, according to Superintendent G.C. Boll. A total of 421 students fill the building, 200 in high school and 221 in the grades. An all-time high of 33 are enrolled in the kindergarten, so many that the teacher, Miss Joyce Jacobson, has divided the group into two sections, one reporting at 9 a.m., the other at 1 p.m.
John Roseland, the 10-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. Alvie Roseland, won the two-day trip to the world championship rodeo in St. Paul, Minn., in the quiz program held at the Pix Theatre Saturday. He will meet Gene Autry on the trip. Alternates are Clarice Bautch and James Breska.
Watch for the opening of the Sports Parlor in the basement underneath the post office. Everything is ready for the opening and the date will be announced soon by Clarence Johnson, proprietor.
Vernon Anderson of Whitehall, who operates the Philip Thomte store at Coral City, received a compound fracture of the elbow about 9 p.m. Friday when his car left Hwy. 53 a half-mile west of Coral City. Edward Hulberg, his wife, son Ronald and daughter Susan of Northfield were brought to the hospital here early Friday morning after an accident near the county line east of Blair.
Henry Schroeder, 55, who farms in Bruce Valley, town of Hale, received a fracture of the skull and contusions of the chest and shoulder when kicked by a horse Monday evening. His condition is serious.
The four and a half-acre field of gladioli in bloom across the road from the Coral City school house is a sight to behold, with the flowers at their height. The blooms are owned by the Whitehall Floral and Nursery Co., which rented land from Helmer Jacobson on which to plant them.
A special chartered bus brought 35 managers, employees and directors connected with Midland Cooperative Wholesale to Arcadia Wednesday of this week. They came from towns in the northern and eastern parts of the state and were on a tour to inspect other cooperative holdings in Wisconsin. The group made stops in 20 towns during their tour.
The first meeting of the Arcadia chapter of the Future Farmers of America was held in the agriculture room on Wednesday. The meeting was called to order by Mr. Pinch, advisor, for the purpose of electing officers for the coming school year and to vote on dues and appoint superintendents for the fair. The following officers were elected: Glen Krackow, president; Allen Kreher, vice president; Carlyle Gilbertson, secretary; Francis Schank, treasurer; Glen Tamke, reporter and Albert Pronschinske, sentinel.
100 YEARS AGO
September 14, 1922
Sunday night, the long-continued hot weather was broken by a sudden drop in temperature, and before morning the mercury had reached near the freezing point. Many reports of light frost came in, but no serious damage was done. The drought that has prevailed for some time was broken Tuesday night, and gentle rains have prevailed at times since.
Complaint has been made that the young men are driving too fast on the streets of Whitehall. This is just a reminder that speeding alone cost 12,000 lives the past year in the United States. This fast speeding not only endangers the lives of the drivers, but others who may unfortunately come in their way. The law against speeding should be enforced.
John Ekern, son of H.L. Ekern of Madison, is here finishing his senior year at Whitehall High School. This is some credit to W.H.S. John is making his home with his aunt, Mrs. Wm. Mason.
Whitehall defeated the Gilkerson Union Giants Tuesday, 3-2. The game was a tight pitchers’ duel between Luther of Gilkerson and Rook, Whitehall’s ace. Next Wednesday, a hot contest will be staged between Gilkerson’s boys and Whitehall, for a side bet of $200 and the gate receipts.
York — Mabel Heggen and Thomas and Mable Larson were entertained at a party Saturday, given by Laura Johnson, their music teacher. Games were played and a fine luncheon was served. They all report a good time.
North Branch of Hale — Will Schaefer was up this way last week cutting corn. Martin Nelson helped Ole Rongstad through silo filling.
August Kukowski of Hunger Valley found that it was expensive to use Arcadia streets for speeding when he was hauled into police court by Undersheriff H. Theurer for violating the speed limit law. Judge Watkowski fined him $5 and costs.
The Rev. J. Andrzejewski was the new priest at St. Stanislaus parish, replacing father J.L. Kufel, who had been moved to Independence.
Edwin Kloety received his honorable discharge from the U.S. Army and arrived home. He had spent two years in the Philippines and one year at Angel Island, Calif.
125 YEARS AGO
September 9, 1897
Whitehall is considering the proposition of putting in an electric light plant. A mass meeting was held at Scott’s Hall Saturday, at which D.M. Benton of Galesville was present and gave a long talk on the subject of electricity. A committee consisting of Messrs. J.O. Melby, W.H. Stallings and James Larson was appointed to look into the matter of the style and cost of such a plant, and to report at a later meeting. It will depend upon the action of the village fathers whether or not Whitehall enjoys at no distant time this much-needed, progressive and metropolitan convenience and delightful improvement.
There are evidences that the present heated term will have an end. Huleatt and Ekern have received a half-carload of heating stoves.
The hydrant at the fountain head of Main Street is giving the city fathers trouble. It is broken, and should be replaced by a new one.
The Whitehall school opened Monday with an enrollment of 42 students in the highest, 32 in the intermediate, and 38 in the primary department. Principal Huleatt says the school opens under the most favorable of conditions.
Adams and Taylor are moving into their new business block, one of the finest mercantile establishments in the county. The entire second floor is devoted to the display of furniture, while the first floor and basement are occupied by their grocery and hardware stocks. It is a model store.
The first physician’s license recorded with the county clerk under the new law was that of Dr. Hotvedt of Pigeon Falls. Physicians practicing prior to the passage of the law are not required to file license.
Thirty-seven couples attended the house-warming dance in the new Modern Woodmen hall Friday night. Theodore Erickson, the restaurateur, furnished supper for the occasion.
David Maloney has sold his farm, consisting of 320 acres, in the town of Hale, to his son James. The consideration was $7,000, and the sale embraces 300 sheep, all other stock, machinery, etc.
